ScienceDaily: Social Issues News

Study challenges notion that umpires call more strikes for pitchers of same race

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:03:03 EDT

A new study challenges previous research that suggests umpire discrimination exists in Major League Baseball.

Ethicists' behavior not more moral

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:25:25 EDT

Do ethicists engage in better moral behavior than other professors? The answer is no. Nor are they more likely than nonethicists to act according to values they espouse.

Cancer and birth defects in Iraq: The nuclear legacy

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:55:55 EDT

Ten years after the Iraq war of 2003 a team of scientists based in Mosul, northern Iraq, have detected high levels of uranium contamination in soil samples at three sites in the province of Nineveh which, coupled with dramatically increasing rates of childhood cancers and birth defects at local hospitals, highlight the ongoing legacy of modern warfare to civilians in conflict zones.

Poverty threatens health of US children

Sat, 04 May 2013 16:32:32 EDT

Pediatricians, economists, social scientists and policy experts came together to address one of the greatest threats to child health -- poverty.

'Slippery slope' fears for legal euthanasia of very sick newborns unfounded, experts say

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:32:32 EDT

Fears that legalizing euthanasia for very sick newborns would prompt the start of a "slippery slope" and lead to abuse of the option have proved groundless, say experts.

Global networks must be redesigned, experts urge

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:19:19 EDT

The increasing interdependencies between the world's technological, socio-economic, and environmental systems have the potential to create global catastrophic risks. We may have to redesign global networks,or else they could turn into "global time bombs," experts say.

Finding a sensible balance for natural hazard mitigation with mathematical models

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:16:16 EDT

Uncertainty issues are paramount in assessing risks posed by natural hazards and in developing strategies to alleviate their consequences. A new model estimates the balance between costs and benefits of mitigation following natural disasters, as well as rebuilding defenses in their aftermath.

Twitter for crisis communication: Study shows benefits for the police

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:23:23 EDT

A study shows how the police can use social media in crisis in order to promptly communicate with affected residents. Scientists analyzed 6672 Twitter messages exchanged between the population and the police during the riots in the summer of 2011.

Doctors urged to 'pause before posting' and not 'friend' patients

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:23:23 EDT

New recommendations offer physicians ethical guidance for preserving trust in patient-physician relationships and the profession when using social media.

Modest population-wide weight loss could result in reductions in Type 2 diabetes and cardio disease

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:19:19 EDT

A new article suggests a strong association between population-wide weight change and risk of death from Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Public support can influence soldiers' mental health, bug killing study suggests

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:45:45 EDT

Can events supporting troops reduce the risk of soldiers experiencing combat-related stress disorders? A new study suggests so.

Brain scans might predict future criminal behavior

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:53:53 EDT

A portable MRI was used to assess anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity in 96 adult male inmates who were then followed for up to four years after their release from prison. Those who re-offended were more likely to have lower ACC activity, indicating impulsivity and anti-social behavior.

Women make better decisions than men, study suggests

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:16:16 EDT

Women's abilities to make fair decisions when competing interests are at stake make them better corporate leaders, researchers have found. The study showed that women are more likely to consider the rights of others and to take a cooperative approach to decision-making. This approach translates into better performance for their companies.

Urban vegetation deters crime in Philadelphia

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:05:05 EDT

A new study of Philadelphia found that abundant vegetation, when well-maintained, can deter certain types of crime -- particularly assault and robbery. The study is the first to look at the issue across an entire urban area and offers strong evidence for urban greening as part of city planning and crime prevention strategies.

Sustainable Development Goals must sustain people and planet, experts say

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:52:52 EDT

Scientists are arguing for a set of six Sustainable Development Goals that link poverty eradication to protection of Earth's life support. The researchers argue that in the face of increasing pressure on the planet's ability to support life, adherence to out-dated definitions of sustainable development threaten to reverse progress made in developing countries over past decades.

'Lessons from abroad' on caring for a graying population

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:53:53 EDT

In Norway, families receive public support that enables them to care for aging parents in their own homes and keep them out of nursing homes. This includes a salary for a son or daughter to provide care. They also focus on adapting houses to the needs of older people through municipal government-financed repairs and renovations. The nursing home is the last resort.

Conservationists call for radical change to ‘war on poaching’

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 10:50:50 EDT

Widespread extinction of highly endangered and valued species will occur without a radical change to the way the wildlife trade is being handled across the world, according to conservation scientists.

Punishment can enhance performance, academics find

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:33:33 EDT

The stick can work just as well as the carrot in improving our performance, a team of academics has found.

Living through a tornado does not shake optimism

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:30:30 EST

Even in the face of a disaster, we remain optimistic about our chances of injury compared to others, according to a new study. Residents of a town struck by a tornado thought their risk of injury from a future tornado was lower than that of peers, both a month and a year after the destructive twister. Such optimism could undermine efforts toward emergency preparedness.

Name your neighborhood, define your health?

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 EST

Does your neighborhood really define health? Most of us make a choice between suburbs, countryside, or city and settle down. But others, particularly those living in poverty, don’t always get to make that choice —- the choice that could actually determine our quality and length of life. So how does this choice affect our health?

Studying the health of same-sex couples

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:59:59 EST

Same-sex couples that live together report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a national study that could have implications for the gay marriage debate.

Global surveys show environment ranks low among public concerns

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:15:15 EST

A newly released international study reveals that the issue of climate change is not a priority for people in the United States and around the world. The surveys showed that when asked to rank priority worries, people were five times more likely to point to the economy over the environment.

With robots, humans face 'new society'

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

Humanity came one step closer in January to being able to replicate itself, thanks to the EU's approval of funding for the Human Brain Project. Danica Kragic, a robotics researcher and computer science professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, says that while the prospect of living among humanoid robots calls to mind terrifying scenarios from science fiction, the reality of how humans cope with advances in robotics will be more complex, and subtle.

Scrap 'unwinnable' drugs war and divert funds into curbing global antibiotic misuse, experts say

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:49:49 EST

Governments around the world should stop squandering resources fighting an "unwinnable war" against illegal drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. Instead, they should use the cash to curb antibiotic misuse, which poses a far more serious threat to human health, claims a leading ethicist.

Math helps detect gang-related crime and better allocate police resources

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:40:40 EST

Social groups in a population can lend important cues to law enforcement officials, consumer-based services and risk assessors. Social and geographical patterns that provide information about such communities or gangs have been a popular subject for mathematical modeling. Scientists used police department records about individuals' social and geographical information to determine gang memberships.

Making homemade guns on a 3-D printer becomes real, so engineering expert suggests stronger laws on gunpowder

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:21:21 EST

Making homemade guns on a 3-D printer becomes real, so engineering expert suggests stronger laws on gunpowder.

Charting progress in debate over medical research with animals

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:16:16 EST

The scientific and ethical debate over the use of animals in medical research has raged for years, but perspectives are shifting, viewpoints are becoming more nuanced, and new initiatives are seeking alternatives to animal testing, according to a special report.

Humanitarian aid workers in Uganda show signs of stress, depression, and burnout

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:24:24 EST

The high risk for mental health problems among staff working in humanitarian organizations in northern Uganda is due in large part to their work environment. Scientists examined the mental health of 376 Ugandan workers at 21 humanitarian aid agencies and found that a significant number of the staff at these organizations experienced high levels of symptoms for depression (68 percent), anxiety disorders (53 percent), and posttraumatic stress disorder (26 percent), respectively.

New study highlights impact of environmental change on older people

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:44:44 EST

Recent natural disasters illustrate vulnerability of older people: majority of deaths from the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) occurred among older people. Researchers are calling for better awareness among policy makers and the public of the impact climate change and deteriorating environmental quality will have on an aging population.

Disasters prompt older children to be more giving, younger ones to be more selfish

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 10:18:18 EST

A natural disaster can bring out the best in older children, prompting 9-year-olds to be more willing to share, while 6-year-olds become more selfish. Researchers made this finding in a rare natural experiment in China around the time of a horrific earthquake.

Safeguards needed for tissue donors

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:39:39 EST

Donors to biobanks -- vast collections of human tissue samples that scientists hope will lead to new treatments for diseases -- have a right to basic information about how their donations may be used, an ethicist argues in a new article.

Studying possible ways of solving the crisis in the care function

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:19:19 EST

In today’s society, there is a significant imbalance in the function of the care of the elderly. While the population ages more and more, the social mechanisms set up to perform the care function of the elderly are unable to meet this demand. Today, the mechanisms correspond to four spheres: the family, the welfare state, the market of private institutions, and the so-called community sphere.

Experts propose overhaul of ethics oversight of research

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:53:53 EST

The longstanding ethical framework for protecting human volunteers in medical research needs to be replaced because it is outdated and can impede efforts to improve health care quality, assert leaders in bioethics, medicine, and health policy.

Forcing choice may hamper decision-making, study finds

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:47:47 EST

Constraining choice isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to managers' problem-solving, according to a new Canadian study. Managers tend to pick higher-risk options when forced to choose between competing alternatives to complex situations, according to researchers.

Bioethics leader calls for bold approach to fighting obesity

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 14:31:31 EST

Arguing that obesity "may be the most difficult and elusive public health problem the United States has ever encountered" and that anti-obesity efforts having made little discernible difference, one expert proposes a bold and controversial approach to fighting the epidemic.

Men more likely than women to commit scientific fraud

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:19:19 EST

Male scientists are far more likely to commit fraud than females and the fraud occurs across the career spectrum, from trainees to senior faculty. The analysis of professional misconduct was co-led by a researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and was published today in the online journal mBio.

Standard written checklists can improve patient safety during surgical crises

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:52:52 EST

When hospital operating room staff follow a written safety checklist to respond to a medical crisis during surgery, they are nearly 75 percent less likely to miss a critical clinical step.

Integrated neglected tropical disease control and elimination programs: A global health 'best buy'

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:49:49 EST

A recently released report highlights links between neglected tropical diseases and socio-economic prosperity.

PR professionals are not 'yes men' when pressured to be unethical, study finds

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:36:36 EST

Public relations professionals who have provided ethics counsel to senior management are at least as fervent about serving the public interest -- sometimes more so -- as they are about their duty to their organizations, a researcher has found.

Experts aim to redefine healthcare and research ethics

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:39:39 EST

In what they acknowledge as a seismic shift in the ethical foundation of medical research, practice and policy, a prominent group of interdisciplinary healthcare experts rejects an ethical paradigm that has guided the American system since the 1970s and calls for morally obligatory participation in a "learning healthcare system" more in step with the digital age.

Ethical dilemmas in social network-based research

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 14:20:20 EST

The growing trend towards conducting research on youths as they use social networking sites like Facebook raises ethical questions in academia. Guidelines and best practices are lacking.

Flooding preparedness needs to include infection prevention and control strategies

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:12:12 EST

Clinical investigators report key findings and recommendations related to the closure and re-opening of hospitals impacted by black-water floods. The guidance builds on lessons learned from Thailand and the United States. The findings come as many flood-damaged healthcare facilities in New York and New Jersey look to reopen in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Comprehensive public health approach urged to curb gun violence in U.S.

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:09:09 EST

In the wake of the horrific school shootings in Newtown, Conn. in December, three experts say the best way to curb gun violence in the U.S. is to take a broad public health approach, drawing on proven, evidence-based strategies that have successfully reduced other public health threats like smoking, car crashes, and accidental poisonings. The authors make the case for a comprehensive public health approach to gun violence in an article published online Jan. 7, 2013 in JAMA.

Disease burden links ecology to economic growth

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:33:33 EST

A new study finds that vector-borne and parasitic diseases have substantial effects on economic development across the globe, and are major drivers of differences in income between tropical and temperate countries. The burden of these diseases is, in turn, determined by underlying ecological factors: it is predicted to rise as biodiversity falls. This has significant implications for the economics of health care policy in developing countries, and advances our understanding of how ecological conditions can affect economic growth.

Experiencing discrimination increases risk-taking, anger, and vigilance

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:36:36 EST

Experiencing rejection not only affects how we think and feel -- over the long-term it can also influence our physical and mental health. New research suggests that when rejection comes in the form of discrimination, people respond with a pattern of thoughts, behaviors, and physiological responses that may contribute to overall health disparities.

With mental health issues rising on campuses, new student initiative to maintain balanced mental health is emerging

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:15:15 EST

Rates of serious mental illness among university students are drastically rising, and universities are struggling with how to respond to students who show symptoms. Traumatic situations such as academics, financial problems, family problems, intimate and other relationship issues, and career related issues are leaving students overwhelmed, exhausted, sad, lonely, hopeless and depressed.

Emerging ethical dilemmas in science and technology

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 16:24:24 EST

As a new year approaches, a group of scientists have created a list of emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology for 2013.

Should physicians prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals?

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:26:26 EST

Physicians should not prescribe cognitive enhancers to healthy individuals, states a new report. The authors provide their recommendation based on the professional integrity of physicians, the drugs' uncertain benefits and harms, and limited health care resources.

Data on financial crime is not credible, UK research finds

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 19:31:31 EST

The UK Government and police efforts to tackle financial crime -- from business fraud to tax evasion -- are hampered by a lack of accurate data about the nature and extent of offending, according to new research.

Will climate change cause water conflict?

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:09:09 EST

Climate change plays a secondary role in the origin or aggravation of social conflicts linked to water. Political discourses must avoid directly linking climate change with social conflict and human insecurity, without taking into account other political and socio-economic factors.

Long-term public health support needed to tackle infectious disease outbreaks

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:32:32 EST

Outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as swine flu (H1N1) threaten global health and should be considered by funding agencies and humanitarian organizations as development issues rather than emergency situations, requiring long-term support and investment, according to U.S. experts.

Eating or spending too much? Blame it on social networking sites

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:03:03 EST

Participating in online social networks can have a detrimental effect on consumer well-being by lowering self-control among certain users, according to a new study.

Evolution: Social exclusion leads to cooperation

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:44:44 EST

Social exclusion as a punishment strategy helps explain the evolution of cooperation, according to new research.

From rabbits in Congo, a jump in kids' health

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:17:17 EST

For children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rabbits are more than furry pets. They are symbol of resilience as the basis of a microfinance program aimed at improving youth health and social outcomes.

Tight times may influence how we perceive others

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:20:20 EST

From the playground to the office, a key aspect of our social lives involves figuring out who "belongs" and who doesn't. Scientists theorize that these prevalent in-group biases may give us a competitive advantage against others, especially when important resources are limited. New research explores whether resource scarcity might actually lead us to change our definition of who belongs to our social group, influencing how we perceive others' race.

How to buy an ethical diamond

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:30:30 EST

The holidays are a busy time for engagements, and an expert in corporate responsibility, says socially minded consumers have a lot to think about when it comes to finding the right rock.

Study links improved consumer welfare to increased prescription drug advertising efforts

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:44:44 EST

More people are better off thanks to the impact of an influx of direct-to-consumer advertising spending than they would be without those marketing efforts, according to a new study.

Models for evacuation procedures in big cities after massive earthquakes

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:08:08 EST

Researchers in Japan report on models for evacuation procedures in big cities after massive earthquakes based on the behavior of people in Tokyo after the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake on March 11, 2011.

Overwhelming public support for whistleblowers

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 20:35:35 EST

New research shows 4 out of 5 Britons think that people should be supported for revealing serious wrongdoing, even if it means revealing inside information. However, under half of the respondents (47%) thought whistleblowing is an acceptable thing to do in our society. Hence, people think society is less supportive of it than it should be.

Once the conflict is over, solidarity in alliances goes out of the window

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:35:35 EST

Anyone who competes or is at war should be careful when entering alliances. Above all this applies when there is booty to be shared afterwards.